Commercial Surfperch Fishery

The commercial surfperch fishery in California is modest in terms of landings and in the number of participants. Hook-and-line is the most commonly used gear type for catching surfperch. The primary species landed by sandy beach commercial fishermen along the open coast are redtail and barred surfperch. There are a small number of skiff fishermen that catch bay species within San Francisco Bay. Top ports of landing are Eureka, San Francisco and Morro Bay. In 2013 the Project began to sample the commercial redtail surfperch fishery in northern California for age, length and sex composition.

Commercial Landing Totals
All commercially caught fish landed within the State must be accurately documented. The CDFW maintains basic catch records of amounts and values of the various marine resources taken by California's commercial fisheries.

Fish Business Information
The CDFW License and Revenue Branch provides excellent service to our customers by issuing licenses, permits, stamps and tags consistent with statutory and regulatory requirements, collecting revenue, and providing information to support the use and enjoyment of California's diverse natural resources and insure that they are available for future generations.